Campaigns battle for N.H.

Swing state seen as pivotal prize

MANCHESTER, N.H. — President Obama won New Hampshire by nearly 10 percentage points in 2008, and even now, his advantage lingers. On a sweltering day last week, his phone bank volunteers outnumbered Romney’s backers by 3 to 1 at their respective state headquarters.

But the sense in both camps is that the fight for this state’s four electoral votes will be close and possibly pivotal in the presidential election.